These top ten essays have been forwarded to humorist Mark Russell, who will decide on the final four, ranked in order from first place. The winners will be announced on April Fools Day, and the awards will be presented at the Robert Benchley Society Annual Awards Dinner, at the University Club of Washington, D.C., at a date to be determined.

This year's preliminary judges were:

Horace Digby, 2005 Benchley Society First Place Award Winner, President of the Longwood, Washington "We Only Came to See if There Really is an Award" Chapter of the RBS, and West Coast Vice Chairman of the RBS,

Matt Hahn, President of the Washington, D.C., "Lost Locomotive" Chapter of the RBS,

Eileen Forster Keck, a Director of the RBS,

Sharon Lyon, a Co-Founder of the RBS,

Dan Montville, author of Disabled Fables, 2008 1st place winner of the RBS Humor Writing Award, and Director of the RBS,

Chris Morgan, East Coast Vice Chairman of the RBS, and

Ed Tasca, 2009 1st place winner of the RBS Humor Writing Award, and Director of the RBS.